tug of war

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The debate is part of a national tug of war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

With the Iran war now well into its third month, countries are scrambling to circumvent the geopolitical tug of war by transitioning more quickly to renewables.

From Salon • May 16, 2026

The opening set was a tug of war before Sakkari wrestled the momentum her way, winning the last 11 points to grab a one-set lead in 48 minutes.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

U.S. stocks closed mixed on Thursday after a wild day on Wall Street in which metals surged, the price of oil spiked and a tug of war erupted in equities.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

We played tug of war for a few seconds, then he turned his end loose and ran back down the trail a little ways.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls